Wrench



(No Mo de l.)

H. BOWHALL.

WRENCH.

@Wtvmooaa UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY BOWHALL, OF CEDAR SPRINGS, MICHIGAN.

WRENCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 374,928, dated December20, 1887.

Applieation'filed August 15, 1887. Serial No. 246,883. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY BOWHALL, a citizen of the United States,residing at Cedar Springs, in the county of Kent and State of Michigan,have invented new and useful Improvements in WVrenches, of which thefollowing is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in Wrenches; and it consists in acertain novel construction and arrangement of parts, fully set forthhereinafter, and specifically pointed out in the claim.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side view of the wrench withthe handles shown closed. Fig. 2is a longitudinal central section of thesame. Fig. 3 is a similar view with the handles separated and thespringpawl disengaged from the ratchet. Fig. 4: is a rear view of thewrench.

Referring by letter to the drawings, A designates the main shank of thewrench, to the upper end of which is rigidly secured the upper jaw, B,having a serrated under side, and the lower end of the main shank isprovided gigh the forwardly-extending sleeves or loops D designates thesliding or ratchet shank, sliding in the loops 0 O and having the lowerjaw, E, secured to the upper end, provided with a serrated upper side tobite against the serrated under side of the upper jaw. The lower jaw isextended rearwardly to form the loop F, which embraces and slides on themain shank to guide the motion of the upper end of the sliding shank.The lower end of the shank D is fashioned intoahandle, D, and the innerside of the said shank is provided with a series of ratchet-teeth, asseen at G.

'H designates a swinging handle, pivoted at the upper end to the lowerend of the main shank, thus enabling it to be swung away from the handleDor drawn close up to the same. In a small recess or opening, 2', in theupper end of the handle H is pivoted the pawl 1, adapted to engage theratchet G, and K is a small lever or handle secured to the said pawl onthe outer side of the handle H, adapted, when pressed toward the handleH, to raise the pawl out of engagement with the ratchet.

A small spring, L, is placed on the stud Z, depending from the underside of the end of the lever K, and the inner end of the said springbears in a socket, h, in the outer side of the handle H. The tendency ofthis spring is to press the lever K outwardly, and thus normally holdthe pawl I in engagement with the ratchet.

It will be readily seen that when the handle H is drawn toward thehandle D thejaws of the wrench cannot be moved, as the springpawl isfirmly engaged in the ratchet; also, when the handle H is swungoutwardly, the jaws cannot be separated, as the springpawl is stillengaged in the ratchet; but in this position the jaws can be drawntogether, as the pawl will slip over the ratchetteeth, and by pressingupon the end of the small leverKthe pawl may be disengaged and the j awsseparated.

One important advantage gained by provid ing the wrench with thespring-pawl is that it may be used (although provided with flat jaws) asa pipe-wrench. To apply it as a pipe-wrench the spring-pawl is raisedand the jaws are pressed firmly against opposite sides of the pipe. Thepawl is now released and allowed to engage in one of the ratchetteeth,and the handle H is drawn toward the handle D, thus acting'as a lever toforce the lower jaw very tightly against the pipe until the serrationson the inner sides of the jaws are pressed into the material of the pipeon each side. This grip may be taken in a moment, and when it is desiredto release the pipe for a new hold it is simply necessary to separatethe handles and press the handle of the pawl.

After agriphas been taken with this wrench, although it is very quicklytaken and very readily released, the wrench may be dropped,

- and it will still maintain its grip upon the pipe. lVith some wrenchesnow in use the grip depends upon the motion of the wrench to turn thepipe, and when the said motion has ceased the wrench looses its hold;but in this wrench the grip remains firm until the handles are separatedand the springpawl released.

The lever Kextends sufiiciently forward to be within reach of theoperators thumb. Thus the wrench can be worked with one hand; also, thefree end of the lever K is formed with an operating knob or enlargementto more readily receive the pressure of the thumb; also, the handles Dand H fit close together,

so one hand can span and grasp them. The

outer sides of the said handles are rounded, as shown, to more readilyfit the hand.

Having thus described my invention, I

5 claim- In a wrench, the combination of the shank I), having thelowerjaw, E, and loop Fmade integral with it at its upper end, andprovided with the ratchet-teeth Gon its inner side, with 10 the mainshank A, having the upper jaw, B,

made integral with it at its upper end and provided with the loops 0 Oat its lower end, the

lever-handle H, pivoted to the lower end of the shank A and providedwith the pawl-1e- I 5 cess i, the pawl I, pivoted in said recess andengaging the ratehetteeth G, the thumb-lever K, secured to the saidpawl, extending downward therefrom, and provided with theinwardly-standing pin or stud l, and the spring L, seated in the recessh in the lever H, and 20 surrounding said stud and forcing the pawl intoengagement with the ratchet-teeth G, substantially as specified.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signaturein 25 presence of two witnesses.

HENRY BOVVHALL.

W'itnesses:

J. R. FOX, L. E. CHAPPELL.

